Asia Times: E Timorese reconstruction aided by $522 million pledges



	December 18, 1999	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

E Timorese reconstruction aided by $522 million pledges
By Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO - Donor countries and agencies on Friday pledged $522 million for the reconstruction of devastated East Timor, but kept a low profile on the touchier issue of seeking justice for the estimated thousands killed by pro-Indonesian militia.

''I am grateful for the generosity extended by the donor community, which is beyond our expectations,'' Xanana Gusmao, president of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) and widely expected to be East Timor's first president, said as the two-day aid meeting hosted by Tokyo ended on Friday.

''Reconciliation, however, is a more complex issue with other political nuances involved, which is above what is pledged by the international community,'' added Gusmao, who arrived in Tokyo on Thursday to attend the meeting.

Governments and donors at the aid meeting, organized by the World Bank and the United Nations, pledged $522 million in grants over the next three years. The figure is well over the $307 million figure that was expected from the meeting, attended by nearly 200 delegates from 50 countries and international agencies.

Of the $522 million pledged, $149 million will be directed toward humanitarian assistance. The remaining $373 million is for development and reconstruction, from which $215 million will be allocated to two trust funds to be monitored by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and $158 million will be used in other forms of bilateral and mulitlateral assistance.

One trust fund will oversee sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, health, education and macro-economics. The second fund will by administered by the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), and East Timorese representatives will be responsible for approving projects and overseeing their implementation.

Japan will provide $100 million to East Timor, out of which $28 million will be geared for humanitarian assistance. ''It is natural for Japan, as the leading player in Asia, to make the large pledge,'' explained Shozo Azuma from the Foreign Ministry. He stressed however that East Timor is not only as Asian issue but an international one that requires the global community to cooperate in the nation-building process.

Japan also said that while its contribution will be disbursed through the UN trust fund, aid will also be provided to Japanese non-governmental organizations envisaged to be part of relief activities for East Timorese refugees and also to send a team of experts to study further assistance to East Timor.

Activists say the fact that grants instead of loans had been pledged to East Timor is particularly welcome, so that it can start its development ''debt-free''.

Human rights organizations reiterated their support for processes of justice and reconciliation and promotion of human rights, noting that healing of past wounds will take some time.

In a press conference held Thursday, East Timorese NGOs and their foreign supporters pledged to make the process of nation-building a simple process with active participation by the people themselves. ''The country may be devastated, but that does not mean the local mechanisms, such as grass-root organizations, and community leaders and educated East Timorse are not capable of playing a vital role in the reconstruction of their country,'' said Rieko Inoue, of the Pacific Resources Center, a Japanese NGO.

Other NGOs involved were the East Timor NGO Forum, Amnesty International, the Australian Council for Overseas Aid and Oxfam International.

Meantime, Gusmao, answering questions from reporters, said it is important to deal with elections as quickly as possible.

As for the question of providing amnesty to people guilty of the massive killings, Gusmao said there is still ''much work to be done'' on this issue which, he described as is ''a political act''. ''We could use South Africa's example,'' he said referring to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But then, he added, ''we cannot speak of justice and impunity here.''

In earlier remarks made at the aid conference, he explained that inclusiveness does not mean impunity. ''The question of justice will administered in East Timor and whether it will be punitive or restorative in nature is a question vital to our future and to the confidence the people will have in their governing institutions and leader,'' he said.

(Inter Press Service)

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©1999 Asia Times Online Co., Ltd.